San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-11-09
THREE ETON boys.
BY W. E. NORRIS.


fess that they made me uncomfortable at
first; but after bit recollected that If l
had ordered the eldest of them TO run up
to the Brocas for me eight or nine years
ago he would have put his best leg fore
most, and that set me more at my ease.
Besides, l almost forgot them from the
moment that Hilda began to talk to me.
My dear Harry, what an extraordinary
what a miraculous changel You never
prepared me for anything of the sort"
II told you that her hair had become
debased from gold to "copper"" remarked.
IF l didn't prepare you for any more
startling change, 1t was because must
own that | can't detect any"
Cant detect anyl Do you mean to
tell me that Lady Bracknell is the same
woman as Hilda Turner? Oh, l know
what you are grinning at; you think the
change is in me, and that there never was
any such person as the Hilda whom was
in love with. Perhaps you are right; but
for all that, she has transformed herself
into something very unlike what she used
to be. She doesn't look day older, and
speaking impartially-as l can now-I
should say that she is prettier, if any
thing; but oh, dearl didn't like her ways
of going on at all. She is quite the mod
ern great lady; she has all the fashionable
slang at the tip of her tongue; and she
said things which-which-well hate to
hear ladies say such things. And it struck
me that the Washers were anything but
respectful to her. AS listened to her, |
wondered how ! could ever have been such
an idiOt-but ma matter! You said she
wouldn't fasciuate me, and most certainly
she didn't. ain quite cured, Harry, and
I suppose ought to be very glad, but
when one has nursed a complaint for
years, 1t makes one feel rather queer to
lose it all Of a sudden. The sensation is
something like having double tooth out.
It's good radiance, of course; but it
seems to leave an enormous gap behind it.
Well those young swells took themselves
off, one by one, until she and l were left
alone, ard then-do you know what she
did them"
"To be sure I d. replied. "She
drew her chair close up to yours, put her
head little on one side, gazed pensively
at you, and presently gave you to under
stand that you were the only man whom
she had ever loved with pure affection"
ooh, no; she didn't go quite that
length; though / must say However,
81 do not see the use of having tried
and trusted friend if he is not to be let
into your confidence. think you decid-
eddy ought to tell me what she did" said
/. For wanted to know.
"Well," Jim continued, "she began by
abusing Bracknell-said he was drunk
ard and a spendthrift, and that he ill
treated her, and l don't know what all.
Fancy woman speaking about her hus-
band like thatr'
Evidently this was new and distaste-
full experience to Jim. perhaps it was
true, though" suggested.
'If it was, she ought to have been the
last person to say So" returned that hard
hearted Jim. but, between ourselves,
/ don't believe it was true. She has told
me untruths before now, and why
shouldn't she tell them again? l tried to
stop her; but it wasn't a bit of good. She
went on about her marriage having been
a mistake, and about her having been
drawn into it and having repented when
it was too late, and SO forth. Do you
suppose she says that sort of thing to
everybody
replied that 1 really didn't know; but
that probably she endeavored to suit her
conversation to her auditor.
Her conversation didn't suit me, at all
events,' returned Jim, emphatically.
And then he told me how BracEnell had
begged his pardon in very frank and
manly way for the wrong that he had
done him six years before.
II went 20 call at Portman square the
next day. he continued. "Poor old
Lord Staines was always kind to me when
I 4 7 81, l. l.
hear all about my adventures He wanted
to know whether had seen little Summing
yet, and began to brag about the boy
and his pluck and his beauty very much
as he used to brag about Bracknell long
ago Poor old fellow 1t was rather sad
to hear him. He said, 4 hope you and
Bracknell have made it up, and when l
told him that we had, he muttered,
That's right-that's right. Old friends
oughtn't to quarrel about a woman.
Women aren't worth quarreling about
After which he pushed his chair back and
made little bow to Lady Mildred. Il
don't mean you, my dear, he said; you're
worth your weight i'll gold as everybody
knows l remember your mother used
always to be telling me that Lady Mildred
was perfection, but somehow never no.
ticed in those days how pretty she was. /
suppose l had only eyes for one person
then. All! well, times are changed. I'd
very much rather talk to Lady Mildred
than to Lady Bracknell now. l had
long chat with her while her father dozed
over the newspaper. 1t was pleasant to
find that she hadn't forgotten me at all,
though she said she would hardly have
known me with my beard, which she
didn't consider an improvement"
as that why you have shaved it off2''
inquired; for indeed Jim's long thin face
had been deprived of that ornament.
"Oh, well, one doesn't want to look
more like a backwoOdsman than one can
help, you know" he answered. LAS l
was saying, Lady Mildred and | had a
good talk and discussed you all, and en-
joyed ourselves very much, until one Of
Lady Bracknells Washers came in and
interrupted us. A fellow called Beau
champ; do you know anything of himS''
alfred Beauchamp," ] replied, ''is a
young man whom everyboG : knows some
thing about, by reason Of h being quite
in the front rank Of eligible bachelors.
His rent roll is said to exceed $40 900 a
year; also he has coal mines, which, be-
lieve, are expected to go on increasing in
value. He is the only surviving son of
the late Lady Staines' brother, and in the
event of his dying without issue, the
whole of his property would pass to
BracknelL AS it would be dangerous to
count upon his doing anything so obliging
as that, the family have decided to marry
him to Lady Mildred; only imagine they
haven't ventured to tell him So because,
of course, he is his own master, and he
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